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Who We Are

What We Do

We support the ever-expanding PACEs movement by educating people about PACEs science. We engage them in the movement by increasing the number of people who join PACEs Connection. We help communities launch and grow PACEs initiatives, online and in person, and provide tools to help them measure their progress. We act as the information resource for the PACEs movement by telling its stories and providing resources.

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Our Vision

A resilient world where all people thrive. 

 

Our Mission

PACEs Connection amplifies and supports the worldwide positive and adverse childhood experiences (PACEs) movement by sharing its stories, solutions, and science, growing healing communities, and valuing equity and diversity.

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Equity & Inclusion Statement

PACEs Connection is an anti-racist organization committed to the pursuit of social justice.

In our work to promote resilience and prevent and mitigate ACEs, we will intentionally embrace and uplift people who have historically not had a seat at the table. PACEs Connection will celebrate the voices and tell the stories of people who have been barred from decision making and who have shouldered the burden of systemic and economic oppression as the result of genocide, slavery, family separation, forced relocation, mass incarceration, red lining and all other practices, policies and institutions that have traumatized marginalized groups. These groups include people of color, people living with mental health and substance use challenges, people living with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQI community.

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Our Values

As individuals and as an organization, it is our intention and daily practice to encourage and model these.

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Integrity.  Transparency. We manage through trust not control. To create trust and an accountable environment where everyone feels they can say what needs to be said when it needs to be said, we maintain an environment free from hidden agendas or conditions, accompanied by full information and no fear of retaliation. We speak directly, do what we say we will do and have pure motives. We contribute authentically and participate fully. We are leaders and we model leadership at every level.


Equity.  Inclusion.  We are an anti-racist organization committed to the pursuit of social justice. We regularly examine our roles in perpetuating inequitable systems and work to change inequitable practices, structures and policies that contribute to ACEs, and maintain an environment where everyone is welcomed, respected, supported and valued.

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Empathy.  Compassion.  We value empathy as knowing the truth of others' experiences and act on that knowledge with the positive intention born of compassion.

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Joy.  Celebration.  We cultivate resilience and equanimity by sharing the truth of our stories and celebrating both our lessons learned and our successes.

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Courage. Knowing that we ourselves are the foundation for our success and the key to achieving our vision, we encourage and provide opportunities for personal growth and professional advancement. We are committed to an environment in which all individuals have the opportunity and responsibility to achieve personal and professional satisfaction and growth. Our courage is grounded in the body and is a measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with one another, and with our work.

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Value Statements

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  1. Local Relevance. We believe people and their communities hold the solutions to prevent, address and heal adverse childhood experiences.

  2. Equitable Partners. All levels of society in all sectors — individuals, organizations, communities, and systems — are equitable partners, essential to identifying and implementing solutions.

  3. Addressing Root Causes. We value preventing adverse childhood experiences before they happen by addressing the root causes.

  4. Grounded in Science. Quality science and data must drive the conversation.

  5. Solution Based. We help communities move from managing problems to managing solutions.

  6. Organizational Model. We model trauma-informed, resilience-building internal and external practices, and encourage self-care and well-being for ourselves, our staff, and all the people within the organizations, communities, and systems we work with.

  7. Mission Driven. We focus on mission before organization; promote others over ourselves with gratitude and humility; and build connected constellations, not stars.

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Our Staff

Trauma-Informed Change Agent.  Research Translator. BIG PICTURE Thinker.  Herder of Cats.

Ingrid Cockhren

Chief Executive Officer

Ingrid Cockhren

Chief Executive Officer

Directors:

Tawana Irvin

Chief Administrative Officer

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Kahshanna Evans

Director of Creating

Resilient Communities

Kahshanna Evans
Director of Creating Resilient Communities

 

Social justice advocate, PACEs champion, social work scholar, & UGA fan. 

Porter Jennings-McGarity

Director of Continuous Quality Improvement and Community Data

Porter Jennings-McGarity

Director of Continuous Quality Improvement and Community Data

Disrupter of multi-generational cycles of trauma and addiction. Just one generation of trauma-free humans can end poverty.

Carey Smith Sipp

Director of Strategic Partnerships

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Carey Smith Sipp

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Mathew Portell

Director, Education and Outreach

Mathew Portell

Director, Education and Outreach

An unapologetic disrupter through the use of current PACEs science.

Community Consultants:

climate activist,

globalist, and typically

over caffeinated.

Jenna Quinn

Project Program Coordinator, Environmental Justice ConsultantManager

Jenna Quinn

Program Coordinator, Environmental Justice Consultant

Staff:

Dana Brown

Organizational Liaison

Dana Brown

Organizational Liaison

Global Change Agent. Seeker. History Buff. Warrior Spirit.

Tawana Irvin

Chief Administrative Officer

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Tawana Irvin

Chief Administrative Officer

Tawana Irvin
Chief Administrative Officer

 

Indigenous-rooted, raised in a tiny town, scientific-brained, 9/10 ACEs, resilient mobilizer

Rafael Maravilla

Network Manager

Rafael Maravilla

Network Manager

Founder:

Inspirer of safe change and solutions, ace connector, a steward of planet Earth, cat lady.

Jane Stevens

Founder

Jane Stevens

Founder

PACEsConnection-Logo-2021-white_03_edite

PACEs Connection is a social network that recognizes the impact of a wide variety of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in shaping adult behavior and health, and that promotes trauma-informed and resilience-building practices and policies in all families, organizations, systems and communities.

We support communities to accelerate the science of positive and adverse childhood experiences to solve our most intractable problems.

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